Writing Flashcards

1. Hours of driving laid ahead of us.

Answer: lay

The verb "laid" is the past tense of "to lay," meaning to place something down. The sentence requires the past tense of "to lie," meaning to recline or be situated. The correct past tense of "lie" is "lay," indicating that the hours of driving were situated ahead of them.

2. By the time we get to the picnic area, the rain will stop.

Answer: will have stopped

The phrase "By the time we get..." indicates an action that will be completed by a specific point in the future. This requires the future perfect tense, which is formed with "will have" + the past participle. "Will have stopped" correctly conveys that the rain's cessation will be complete before they arrive.

3. If Judy would not have missed the deadline, the yearbook delivery would have been on time.

Answer: had not missed

This sentence expresses a hypothetical situation in the past, which requires the third conditional structure. The "if" clause in a third conditional sentence uses the past perfect tense ("had" + past participle). Therefore, "had not missed" is the correct form, while "would not have missed" is incorrect for the "if" clause.

4. We spent Sunday afternoon wandering aimless in the park.

Answer: wandering aimlessly

The word "aimless" is an adjective, but it is incorrectly used here to modify the verb "wandering." Verbs should be modified by adverbs. The correct adverbial form is "aimlessly," describing *how* they were wandering.

5. Only after I went home did I remember my dental appointment.

Answer: got home

While "went home" is grammatically acceptable, "got home" is the more common and idiomatic expression in English to describe arriving at one's residence. In questions testing idiomatic usage, the most natural and frequently used phrasing is generally preferred.

6. The book lay open at page 77.

Answer: lay open

The verb "lay" is the correct simple past tense of "to lie," meaning to be in a flat position or to be situated. The book was situated open, so "lay open" accurately describes its state. "Laid" is the past tense of "to lay" (to place something), and "lied" is the past tense of "to lie" (to tell an untruth).

7. By this time next year, Johanna will begin classes at the University of Colorado.

Answer: will have begun classes

The phrase "By this time next year" indicates an action that will be completed by a specific point in the future. This requires the future perfect tense, which is formed with "will have" + the past participle. "Will have begun classes" correctly conveys that the action of beginning classes will be complete by the specified future time.

8. After comparing my air conditioner with the one on sale, I decided that mine was the most efficient.

Answer: was the more efficient.

The sentence compares only two air conditioners: "my air conditioner" and "the one on sale." When comparing exactly two items, the comparative degree of an adjective is used. Therefore, "more efficient" is correct, while "most efficient" is reserved for comparisons involving three or more items.

9. I would have liked to have gone swimming yesterday.

Answer: to have gone swimming

The phrase "to have gone swimming" uses the perfect infinitive, which is appropriate here to express a desire in the past for an action that was not fulfilled and would have occurred even earlier in the past. It correctly conveys the nuance of a missed opportunity for a past event.

10. I wish I read the chapter before I tried to answer the questions.

Answer: had read the chapter

When expressing a wish about a past event that did not occur, the past perfect tense is required after "wish." The phrase "read the chapter" uses the simple past tense, which is incorrect in this context. The correct form, "had read the chapter," properly conveys the unfulfilled past wish.

11. Nathanael West said that he'd never have written his satirical novel if he had not visited Hollywood.

Answer: have written his

This sentence uses a Type 3 conditional structure, which describes an unreal past condition and its hypothetical past result. The main clause, 'he'd never have written his satirical novel,' correctly uses the 'would/could/should/might + have + past participle' form. Since the original phrasing already matches this correct grammatical structure, no change is needed.

12. The smell from the paper mill laid over the town like a blanket.

Answer: lay

This question tests the correct usage of the verbs 'lie' (to recline, intransitive) and 'lay' (to place, transitive). The smell is resting over the town, which requires the intransitive verb 'lie.' The past tense of 'lie' is 'lay,' making 'The smell... lay over the town' the correct grammatical construction.

13. When I was halfway down the stairs, I suddenly knew what I had wanted to have said.

Answer: to say

The original phrase 'to have said' creates an awkward and unnecessarily complex perfect infinitive, implying an action completed before the desire itself. The simple infinitive 'to say' is more concise and grammatically appropriate. 'I wanted to say' clearly expresses the desire for an action at the moment of wanting, without implying a past desire for a past completed action.

14. I would be more careful if I had been you.

Answer: were

This sentence requires the subjunctive mood, which is used for hypothetical or contrary-to-fact conditions. In such cases, the verb 'to be' takes the form 'were' for all subjects, including singular ones like 'I.' Since the speaker cannot actually be the other person, 'were' correctly expresses this unreal condition.

15. They read where the governor has appointed a special committee to improve the school calendar.

Answer: how

The word 'where' refers to a place, which is incorrect in this context as the sentence is about information received, not a location. 'How' is the appropriate word to introduce the manner or content of what was read. It correctly indicates that they read *about* the governor's appointment.

16. In study hall I sit besides Paul Smith, who is captain of the swim team and one of the best swimmers in the state.

Answer: sit beside

This question distinguishes between 'beside' and 'besides.' 'Beside' means next to, which is the intended meaning when someone sits near another person. 'Besides' means in addition to or moreover. Therefore, 'sit beside' is the correct and precise phrase for indicating proximity.

17. Anna Karenina has been read with enjoyment for over 100 years.

Answer: has been read

The phrase 'for over 100 years' indicates an action that began in the past and continues up to the present. The present perfect passive tense, 'has been read,' is correctly used to describe an action that started in the past and is still ongoing or has relevance in the present. This tense accurately conveys the continuous enjoyment of the book over a long period.

18. Many 19th-century biographers rely on their imaginations, not on real facts.

Answer: relied on their imaginations,

The phrase '19th-century biographers' clearly places the action in the past. Therefore, the verb describing their actions must also be in the past tense. 'Relied' is the simple past tense of 'rely,' correctly aligning the verb tense with the historical context provided.

19. The private lives of politicians, generals, and other notables fascinates the reading public.

Answer: fascinate the reading

This is a subject-verb agreement question. The true subject of the sentence is 'lives' (plural), not 'politicians, generals, and other notables.' Since the subject 'lives' is plural, the verb must also be plural. 'Fascinate' is the correct plural form of the verb, agreeing with 'lives.'

20. The small man chose a seat near the door and carefully sat down.

Answer: sat

This question tests the correct usage of 'sit' (to take a seat, intransitive) and 'set' (to place something down, transitive). In this sentence, the man is taking a seat himself, which requires the intransitive verb 'sit.' 'Sat' is the correct simple past tense of 'sit.'